Next June my wife and I will be starting a river cruise tour in Budapest (going on to Vienna, Prague, Krakow). It will start with a full guided day in Budapest, focused mainly on the Buda side. We want to arrive two or three days before that so we can see more of the city, especially Pest, but we're not sure whether to take two days or three. Probably will stay at the Kalvin or similar hotel in Pest. Our overnight flight will get us there in mid-afternoon, and we'll do well just to explore the hotel neighborhood before dinner and early bedtime. We're interested in history and art, not so much in shopping or the baths (sorry, Rick). Targets in Pest include the major churches and Great Synagogue, Parliament, the Hungarian National Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and maybe the Opera House. We're mid-60s, good walkers and think we can handle the good transit there. The question is how many days to spend before our tour (including Buda) starts. Any good advice from you good people before we book the flights?
Posted by
Genesee, ID
1840 posts
Our rule is: three full days for big sities, 2 full days for small cities. Three full days means either four or five nights, and 2 full days means either three or four nights. Any city.
Posted by
PA
2856 posts
Give it as many full days as you can, there is so much there. And if you are into history, make certain to tour the House of Terror, that alone could require several hours if you want to look at the documentation in depth.
Posted by
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
127 posts
Just a few observations: (1) My one encounter with an ATM at Deak ter frustrated me because the language was all Hungarian, with no "flags" at bottom to select a language. One must insert a debit or credit card first and the screen changes to show the familiar icons for languages; (2) If you're staying in the museum district and your closest metro stop is Kalvin ter, beware that the signs at the subway platform may still be so faint that you may need to remember something else about the platform so that you'll know which train to take. As for how much time to to spend, my five days were not enough. Budapest is sprawling, with interesting neighborhoods and grand avenues (like Andrassy ut, that goes all the way to City Park). So if your choice is two versus three days, take three. And, at the Orszaghaz (parliament), the ticket office is at the far end of the rear of the building. Get tickets in the morning; you'll then be assigned a time for your tour. Enjoy your stay; Budapest is a great city.
Posted by
Rocky Mount, USA
108 posts
We were there for 5 nights. Even with the Buda side covered with your tour, I think you need 3 nights, which gives you 2 full days. Most of the major sights are on the pest side. We had a private guide for 2 half days, which was very helpful. It was one listed in Rick's book on Budapest. If you want more information, please contact me. It's a wonderful city.
Posted by
OP
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
Thanks to all of you. We're going for the three days, and will probably wish we had more time. Hence the good advice: "Assume you will return."